The First Strike

The boardroom of Hart Industries filled with tension, the polished mahogany table reflecting the stormy faces of executives. Elena sat at the far end and her fingers tapping a silent rhythm on the folder in front of her. Inside were forged invoices, meticulously crafted to mimic Liam's handwriting, a spider's web meant to ensnare him. Noah stood guard by the door, his gaze sharp, tracking every flicker of movement.

Liam swaggered in late, his blue tie perfectly knotted, a fresh coffee in hand. "Apologies, everyone. Traffic was a nightmare." He winked at Elena. "You look tense, songbird. Big day?"

She forced a smile. "You have no idea."

Richard Hart entered last, his cane thudding like a judge's gavel. "Let's begin."

Elena waited until the quarterly reports were circulating through the room. Then she struck.

"Before we continue" she interrupted and slide copies of the invoices across the table, "I would like to address some discrepancies in the CFO's records."

Liam froze, mid sip. "Discrepancies?"

"Unauthorized transfers to offshore accounts. Six million dollars, funneled through shell companies." She paused, savoring the ripple of shock. "Your signature's on every page, Liam."

He laughed, but it cracked at the edges. "This is absurd! Those are clearly forged."

"Are they?" Elena turned to Richard. "I've already sent copies to forensic auditors. We will know by tomorrow."

Richard's knuckles whitened on his cane. "Liam? Explain."

"I.. I don't have to explain lies!" Liam shot up, chair screeching. "This is a witch hunt! She's sabotaging me because I rejected her!"

Gasps filled the room. Elena's composure slipped. "That's not"

"It's true!" Liam pulled out his phone, flashing a photo of Elena at a bar, eyes glazed, surrounded by strangers. "She has been partying for weeks, drunk texting me, begging for attention. I didn't want to embarrass her, but this?" He tossed the phone to Richard. "Look."

Richard's face darkened. "Elena. My office. Now."

Noah followed her, his voice low. "You okay?"

"He is lying," she hissed. "That photo is fake!"

"I know. But your dad doesn't think so."

Richard's office was a museum of his ego. Awards, headlines, a life sized portrait of himself. He didn't sit. "You're suspended. Effective immediately."

"What?" Elena choked. "You're taking his side?"

"You leaked confidential data and embarrassed this company!" Richard roared. "I warned you this isn't a game!"

Elena stepped closer, her voice trembling with rage. "The only game here is yours. Pretending to care about Mom. Pretending to care about me."

Richard's cane clattered to the floor. "Get out."

Noah drove her home in silence, the city lights blurring through her tears. "It's part of the plan, right?" he finally said. "The suspension?"

She nodded, wiping her face. "Liam will get cocky. Slip up. But that photo..."

"Serena's work," Noah said. "I will track the source."

Elena's phone buzzed. A text from Adrian:

Adrian Voss: Bad day at the office? Let's fix it over drinks.

She deleted it.

The next morning, Elena woke to a viral nightmare. The photo of her "partying" trended under #HeiressHellion, alongside clips of Liam playing victim on financial news.

Liam Blackwood: "It's tragic. She's clearly spiraling."

Jess burst into the dorm, waving her phone. "Why didn't you tell me you were a secret party queen? Can I come next time?"

"It's fake," Elena muttered, scrolling through comments calling her "unstable" and "unfit."

"Duh. Your left pinky's photoshopped. See?" Jess zoomed in. "But who cares? Lean in! Start a cult!"

Elena almost smiled. Almost.

Noah returned at noon, his laptop bristling with hacking tools. "Found the editor. A guy named Dex. Works out of a basement near Chinatown."

The basement reeked of stale pizza and paranoia. Dex, a scrawny teen in a Star Wars hoodie, tried to flee when he saw Noah. Elena cornered him by a server rack.

"Who paid you to fake the photo?"

"Lady, I don't snitch!"

Noah cracked his knuckles. Dex cried.

"Some blonde. Paid cash. Said you stole her boyfriend."

Serena.

Elena tossed Dex a thumb drive. "Edit this into every news outlet. Or I leak your entire search history."

The drive held security footage of Liam bribing a senator, a gem from her past life.

By dusk, the headlines flipped.

LIAM BLACKWOOD IN BRIBERY SCANDAL!

HART HEIRESS CLEARED!

Richard called, voicemail trembling. "Elena... I.. I didn't know. Come back."

She deleted it.

That night, Elena sat on the dorm roof, Jess's stolen vodka warming her veins. Noah joined her, handing over a chocolate bar. "Medicinal."

"I don't need medicine. I need a time machine."

"To fix the past?"

"To tell my mom to run."

Noah's little finger brushed hers. "You are not her."

She leaned into him, just for a moment. "What if I am worse?"

A shout erupted below. Flames licked the dorm's side door, a trash can was set ablaze. Through the smoke, Serena's laugh echoed.

"Oopsie!" she called. "Better call the fire department, songbird!"

Noah sprinted downstairs. Elena chased Serena into an alley, rage sharpening her vision.

"Enough games," Elena snarled. "Why are you doing this?"

Serena twirled a lighter. "Because watching you burn is fun."

"You are jealous. Dad ignored you. Mom hated you"

Serena slapped her. "My mom died in a trailer park because of yours! You think you are special? You are a lab rat. A copy."

Elena reeled. "What?"

"Ask Daddy about the real Elena Hart." Serena vanished, her laughter trailing like poison.

Back in her room, Elena stared at her reflection. A copy? Her phone buzzed a notification from Hart's servers.

Project Echo File Accessed: Subject #34-C Activated.